This invention relates to outdoor antennas in general, and more particularly to Cubicle Quad antennas.
This invention is an improvement of an antenna, of its traditional cubicle band attachment physical construction, to eliminate weakness and assure prolonged use, by providing a pivotal connection of the element-rod wires of each element portion to the spoke arms of the antenna spider, for permitting wind caused movement of the entire antenna without breaking the loop wires at the corner connection points. Each quad one-quarter wire band is conventionally fiberglass embedded as a rod.
The total length of the copper wire elements of a Cubicle Quad antenna conventionally represents one full wavelength at operating frequency. In use, its physical dimensions increase as its operating frequency is lowered. Seldom are Cubicle Quad antennas used in the frequency range below 14 MHZ., for that reason. Each side of the quad is cut to one-quarter of a wavelength, or approximately 17 feet, depending upon the exact part of the spectrum to which the antenna is tuned. The entire antenna is constructed of a minimum weight material consistant to have reasonable strength, in view of its large size. Yet adequate rigidity is necessary to be able to withstand high winds and thus necessarily limits its use. It would be an impractical array to be installed of heavy material and mast rotated due to that weight. The spider arms are usually made of bamboo or fiberglass lightweight material, being in turn secured to a horizontal central boom of a mast. The mast is usually rotatable.
Cubicle Quad antennas have been superior to Yagi array and verticle whip-type system antennas, both as to radio frequency radiation and receiving characteristics, due to the basic design of a Cubicle Quad antenna with both its horizontal polarized and vertically polarized wave patterns, with reference to the earth, thereby minimizing the condition of "selective fading." Also, the Cubicle Quad antenna has more efficiently radiated energy into a relatively narrow and shallow shaft, and when used as a receiving antenna it has eliminated the reception of radio signals better than the random direction radiation of the prior style Yagi and whip-type antennas. Another benefit of the Cubicle Quad antenna is its lack of high current discharge points, since its high current discharge points occur in the center of its wire elements between its quad box-like corners, and there is therefore no "launching point." Whereas in the case of Yagi and other style antennas, the high current discharge points occur at the tips of the elements of its wire array.
One of the conventional quad elements is a reflector, another is the driven and the third is the director. While the cubicle box-like quad antenna is superior in electrical benefits, over the conventional Yagi and whip-type systems, it has been found heretofore to have a physical characteristic defect. Namely, the wire quad elements at each of its box-like corners break in time from wind caused vibration in use. Heavy wind and weather causes the entire antenna parts to be moved and wracked in various directions.
As far as known, before Applicant's invention, there never has been a Cubicle Quad antenna of box-like construction of a plurality of quad wire elements wherein each corner was secured to the spider arms by a ball-and-socket pivot joint connection.